Fourth generation (4G) cellular networks employing newer radio access technology systems that implement the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE Advanced (LTE-A) standards are rapidly being developed and deployed within the United States and abroad. The LTE-A standard includes modes for aggregation of multiple component carriers (CCs) to provide for meeting the bandwidth requirements of multi-carrier systems that cumulatively achieve data rates not possible by predecessor LTE versions. Wireless communication devices can include configurable radio frequency (RF) circuitry that can transmit and/or receive radio frequency communications using multiple component carriers in a single radio frequency band and/or in multiple radio frequency bands. With wireless networks encountering exponential growth of Internet traffic, such as video traffic, web browsing traffic, and other data traffic that can be carried over the Internet, development of new wireless communication protocols that can support wider bandwidths, a greater range of radio frequencies, and higher throughput data rates arises. Given the costs and/or data traffic limits to communicate over cellular wireless networks, users can prefer to communicate over “free” wireless local area networks (WLANs), subscription based WLANs, and/or operator provided WLANs when possible. In unlicensed radio frequency bands, in which WLANs typically operate, cellular wireless communication devices do not presently operate, but standardization efforts and exploration have begun that seek to add bandwidth for cellular transmissions by using radio frequency channels within the unlicensed radio frequency bands presently occupied by WLANs. In particular, the 5 GHz radio frequency band is targeted to provide for secondary carrier LTE transmission in a carrier aggregation mode.
In addition, there exists a need for solutions that provide methods and apparatuses for time based sharing of radio frequency channels for mobile wireless devices operating in licensed radio frequency bands, unlicensed radio frequency bands, and in combinations of both licensed and unlicensed radio frequency bands. In this regard, it would be beneficial to manage the use of secondary component carriers by a wireless communication device employing carrier aggregation to include capabilities for communication in unlicensed radio frequency bands in addition to licensed radio frequency bands.